Research and Development
by ArouraStar
Summary: A Sequel to my story It's Good to be Back. Takes place AFTER the end of the series so be warned, there will be spoilers! M
1. Questions

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Dark Swan series or anything related to it. **

**Spoiler Alert: This story contains LOADS of spoilers for all four books. Don't continue reading if you haven't finished the series. **

**This is a continuation of my story It's Good to be Back. This can probably be read without reading that one, but you should go back and read it anyway. **

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><p>The first couple of months after I left Isaac and Ivy back in Alabama had been hard for me emotionally, but entirely uneventful as far as death threats and hunting parties were concerned. I had become quite good at managing my time between three kingdoms (the Thorn Land, Rowan Land, and Oak Land), visiting my parents, and occasionally seeing Tim and Lara. The news from the kingdom was all good. The lands had regrown fully and the food stores were almost back to normal. It continued to surprise me how hardy things in the Otherworld were, though I knew it shouldn't. Dorian's lands had finally shifted back into their perpetual state of autumn, a change that was strangely comforting to me. It felt like a sign that things really were settling down.<p>

Roland had received word from Candace twice since I had left. The twins were "growing like weeds" and they were right on time for all of their milestones, according to the books. She was surprised at that, since the doctors had said they may be a little slow in developing, since they were born so prematurely, but I knew better. They were technically 3/4 Gentry. They wouldn't be slow doing anything. This worried me a little. What if they started developing their magic while they were still in Alabama? Candace and Charles knew nothing about their genetics; they thought my children were simply my _human_ children and, for some unknown reason, it was dangerous for them to be around me. I had no idea what gentry children were like, what their growth and development timeline was. I knew that they took much longer to age than a human, but when did that kick in? Would my babies look like babies for too long? How much of my human genetics had they inherited and how would it affect them? I was worried about how long Candace could keep my secret if they started calling up thunderstorms in their terrible twos, or building sand castles on the beach without touching the sand. I had to figure out a way to carefully ask Dorian about gentry children, if he even knew anything about their development. It was unlikely, him being a guy and all, but I couldn't risk asking anyone else. What if they figured out why I was asking? It would be bad enough for Dorian to find out, but for someone to know he was their father before he did… and what if I accidently told that someone something I didn't mean to and they figured out a way to find Ivy and Isaac? I couldn't bare that. Not now, when everything was starting to work out. No. I had to ask Dorian. And soon.

On my last visit to my parents' house Roland had given me a thick envelope from Candace. She was making good on her promise to keep me updated with pictures and notes about the twins. I had nearly ripped the brown paper to pieces as I rushed to see the new images of my children. We all looked over them together; even though I was pretty positive she had made sure Roland and my mother had received a copy of them as well. We double checked each photo carefully to make sure there was no way they could be located by some identifying feature. Once we were sure I packed them safely in my bag, excited about showing them to Dorian later. I hadn't told my parents about sharing the pictures with Dorian, knowing Roland would disapprove implicitly. I _had, _however, finally caved and told them about the twins' real parentage. I had debated that decision for a long time, but finally decided that in my children's best interest. Roland needed to know so that he could look out for any signs that they were living up to their heritage. Every detail he received from Candace was later scrutinized to make sure that whatever they were doing was strictly human baby behavior.

My mother hadn't exactly been thrilled when I told her about my relationship with Dorian, and considering her history with gentry kings I wasn't surprised. I was, however, floored when _Roland_ came to his defense.

"You know that I feel the same way you do about them," he indicated the Otherworld inhabitants, me excluded, "but I trust Eugenie's judgment and she seems to have made a good choice with this one. He _has_ proven his loyalty to her _and_ that he doesn't want the same thing as the Storm King." My mother cringed at the title my biological father had gained and Roland put his arm around her.

"I'm sure you'd feel different after you met him. One day." I had added. Having Isaac and Ivy had awakened some hidden part of me that yearned for a family. A part of me I had been sure didn't exist. For the first time in my life I was actually seeking my parents' approval for my boyfriend. I felt ridiculous, but I couldn't help fantasizing that one day, one very, very far away day, they would all get along and my children would have a mother and a father who were as stable and loving as the ones I had grown up with. It was an absurd fantasy in the world I lived in, but I couldn't get it out of my head.

My mother had eventually been convinced that Dorian being their father was actually the _better_ option than Kiyo, who had no qualms about killing me to make sure my son would not be born. I was sure that his opinions would not have changed if he really had been the father. His loyalty to Maiwenn and her _cause_ was too strong for even blood to break. Even though my mother and Roland had accepted my choice to continue my relationship with Dorian, I still didn't want to push it. I decided that they really didn't need to know the depths of Dorian's interest in the twins, or the depths of my indulgence.

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><p><strong>I know it's a bit of a slow start, but details are important. Don't worry, the next chapter will be up soon and much more interesting. I promise. Please R&amp;R<strong>


	2. Answers

When I returned to the Otherworld after my visit to Tucson I went straight to the Oak Land. I was excited to show Dorian my new pictures, but I also had resolved to take this opportunity to ask him the questions I had been silently pondering about gentry babies. I could casually slip it into the conversation while we looked over the photos of Ivy finger-feeding herself messily or of Isaac sitting up against the flower-patterned sofa playing with his toy stuffed truck.

As soon as I arrived I took Dorian upstairs and locked the door. I was still very protective of the twins' privacy, even though I knew no one would dare walk into Dorian's room without knocking and being told to enter.

"I missed you too." Dorian said, unsure of why I had hurried us up here, but obviously not bothered. He pulled me to him in a long, passionate kiss.

"That's not why I rushed up here." I told him as I climbed onto the bed and patted the space beside me. He frowned theatrically and came to sit beside me. "Don't worry, we'll get to that later, I promise. Unless you would rather put off seeing the new pictures I brought back from Tucson?" He looked like he was thoroughly debating his options. I took the pictures out and started flipping through them. That got him hooked.

We got comfortable in each other's arms and began looking through the stack of photos.

"They've gotten so big!" Dorian noted, after seeing the first few. I felt a lump forming in my throat and I made a conscious effort to control myself. I was missing so much of their lives, but I tried to comfort myself by rationalizing that _I_ was the only one who would remember these first moments; I wouldn't be absent from their memories for another few years. I knew those years were going to fly by like seconds though.

"Yeah, they've really caught up developmentally." I replied, casually adding, "Are babies here usually this big by six months?"

"I'm not sure," he answered, "I've never really paid attention." He went back to studying the photographs. "Ivy is starting to look more like you now that her features are forming. See, look at this one, she's squinting her eyes like you do when you're trying to concentrate." He handed me a picture of Ivy trying to figure out how to fit her stuffed panda into a plastic cup. I smiled at the comparison I hadn't noticed before. I looked back and Dorian and he seemed to be contemplating something.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked, wishing for the millionth time that he was easier to read.

"It's nothing. Did you see this one? Thundro is getting very strong." He changed the subject and handed me another picture. I glared at him for using that name, but there was no malice in my eyes. I was almost starting to get used to his nickname. Almost.

I let him distract me with his comments for a few more minutes then got back on track. I was supposed to be covertly getting my answers from him and so far I had none.

"So when do you guys develop your 'powers', so to speak?" I asked, trying not to sound completely obvious.

"If by 'you guys' you mean Shining Ones," he looked at me disapprovingly, "well it depends. Sometimes we can work magic from birth, others take longer to mature. And there's always room for improvement. Without proper training and discipline, even someone who can work magic from a young age can have a weak hold on their power and someone, like you, who doesn't develop until late can be trained and strengthen. Of course there is only so much teaching can do, each of us has an innate limit. Except perhaps you my dear." He kissed my hand and smiled up at me. "Are you worried about little Thundro calling up tornados when he throws a tantrum?" He had partially seen through my façade, I could only hope he wouldn't put two and two together.

"Hey now, Ivy could just as easily call up the tornados!" I replied indignantly. There was no need for sexism.

"I apologize, you're right. She does have quite a reputation to live up to. Although…" He trailed off, thoughtful again.

"What?"

"You do have to consider the possibility." He said, as if that explained everything he was thinking.

"What possibility? What are you talking about?" He could be so frustrating sometimes.

"The possibility that even though your looks are dominant, that animal's heritage might also be. She might turn out Kitsune. For that matter, Thundro might as well." He looked disgusted at this knowledge and I thought I detected a hint of hurt in his eyes. I immediately reached out to him. This secret was going to kill me. I hated that he thought that my children, our children, could end up being Kitsune. Why did he have to think about the possibilities?

"That's not possible. They won't be like him." I spoke before I could think.

"You sound so sure. You can't will things to be the way you want. I would know." He sighed and stroked my hair. I closed my eyes and hugged him close, not wanting his piercing green eyes to see right through me.

"I wish it had been you." I whispered. It was the most comforting thing I could think to say, aside from the truth.

"I do too." He whispered back. I sat back, struck with a thought.

"What if they were though? Would you still support my choice to leave them where they are, for their safety?" I was hoping he would say yes and mean it.

"You know that I think you are making a mistake leaving them wherever you have with whoever you think could protect them better than I could. They are royalty and they should be raised that way. I would feel that way whether they were mine or not. They should be here with you in person, not just pictures every few weeks!" His voice was rising with every word. I was hoping he had changed his mind; seen that they really were safe and happy where they were. There was no way I could tell him while there was still a risk that Maiwenn might send someone to harm Isaac.

"It's not about what _I_ want Dorian, it's about what's best for the children. You know what Kiyo said about how Maiwenn feels about the prophecy. I can't risk her finding Thu- Isaac here." I had given Dorian an abridged version of my meeting with Kiyo, leaving out all talk of paternity.

"And what about your daughter? Maiwenn has no problem with her." It was the first time he had mention separating them, but not the first time it had crossed my mind. I had decided that even though Ivy wasn't as high on my enemies' hit list as Isaac was, she was still in danger. Everyone would know that they could get me to agree to anything if they used her to their advantage and I couldn't risk her like that. I couldn't be that selfish.

"You think I haven't gone over _every_ possibility a thousand times? There is no better option for them. They deserve a normal life for as long as they can have it." This wasn't how the afternoon was supposed to go. I didn't want to be fighting with Dorian; I wanted to be lying in his arms, looking at pictures of our growing babies. I could feel the anger and disappointment whelming inside of me. It must've shown on my face as well, because Dorian sighed and kissed my cheek.

"I'm sorry my love. I know this is hard for you, but it's hard for me to see how much you yearn for them and do nothing about it. You know that I would do anything to keep them safe; I would never let Maiwenn or anybody else get to them, no matter what it took. You could be happy with them. With me." I knew he was telling the truth. He would go to war with every kingdom in the Otherworld if it meant my safety and that of the twins. But I couldn't let any more people die because of me.

"I _do_ know that, but I don't want any more destruction because of that stupid prophecy. I just want to give it some time and hopefully it will be forgotten." He laughed at my optimism, but there was little humor in it.

"Eugenie Markham, you are the most stubborn woman I have ever met. Just remember, I will be ready and waiting when you realize I'm right. I just wish…" I waited for him to complete his thought but he didn't.

"_I_ just wish you would finish your sentences!" I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Fine. I just wish that I could meet them. Just once, to see their tiny little faces. I had those beautiful cradles crafted for you and it seems they will never get used."

"Never's a long time." I slid my hand down to his thigh and let it rest there. I knew I shouldn't be encouraging him like that, but I couldn't help it when he was being so open. "I wish you could meet them too. I know you'd love them."

"I already do."

"I can't jeopardize their location though; they're in a good, safe place." I was trying to figure out how I could make this work. Maybe if Roland could take them somewhere safe and out of the way, somewhere with nothing to do with Alabama, we could meet them there. Just for a day. I would have to talk to my parents about it, and I'm sure they wouldn't approve.

"You could bring them here. They would be safe; I'd make sure of it." Dorian interrupted my train of thought.

"No. If someone found out I was bringing them here they could follow us when we left. It's too risky. I could ask Roland if he could arrange something, but I'm not sure that he would. He's not your biggest fan, although you two do seem to have made some strides."

"You should invite him over and we can discuss it. I'm sure I could persuade him."

"I think it's better if I talk to him alone. No offense, I just think it's your best chance of him saying yes." Not to mention the fact that I'd have to explain what Dorian knew and didn't know about the twins to my parents and make sure they didn't reveal the secret accidently. I was also trying to protect Dorian from whatever Roland may have to say about him.

"When?" He asked, sounding eager.

"I thought you missed me." I replied, pretending to pout.

"I did, you know I did. It can wait until your next visit to Tucson, there's no need for you to make a special trip and be away from me any longer than necessary." He maneuvered swiftly so that I was lying on my back and his soft, muscular body was pinning me to the bed.

"I'll go sooner. I want to see them too." I pulled his face to mine, kissing him with a new, furious passion. "But I think I'll wait until the morning."

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><p><strong>Please R&amp;R. I will try to keep writing and updating at a good pace. When I get started I can't stop so hopefully I'll stay in one of those moods. <strong>


	3. Bargaining

**Please let me know if you like the direction this story is going. I'm trying to make sure I don't go too OOC, so keep me in check if I get too crazy. I think I may reread the series so I can make sure I stay inside Eugenie's head.**

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><p>Our night together was intense and passionate. Dorian's words had ignited some deep, loving feelings inside me that were more powerful than I had realized I was capable of. He, too, seemed to have been affected by our earlier conversation. The rational part of me, which was getting smaller every day, was screaming that it was a bad idea to introduce him to the twins. What if he figured it out once he saw them? It was bound to happen, and then what? What would I do then? There was no way I could convince him to leave them, but a larger part of me, the happy-families fantasy side, wanted more than anything to see them again and the experience would be made all the better by Dorian's presence. The least I could do would to be to ask Roland to see what he could do.<p>

The next morning I ate a late breakfast with Dorian before packing up again and leaving for the human world. He tried to hide the excitement in his voice when I had informed him I hadn't changed my mind in the night and I would indeed be going to visit Roland, but his eyes betrayed him. I hoped that his excitement came simply from love, like he said it did, and not from a desire to mold Isaac into a world dominating badass. He had given me every reason to trust that he was truly on my side and wouldn't do anything I didn't approve of, but I wasn't used to trusting him yet, and his eagerness made me a little apprehensive.

When I arrived back home I was simultaneously greeted with a "Eugenie, are you alright?" from my mother as she wrapped her arms around me in a surprisingly tight embrace for someone her size, and a "What's happened now?" from Roland, who looked ready to attack whatever was out to get me. I could understand their reactions. It wasn't that they weren't happy to see me; it was just that I had only left the day before and I never visited so frequently unless there was something seriously wrong.

"Nothing, I'm fine. Everything's fine." I answered, trying to reassure them with my calmest tone. My mother finally released me and I went inside to sit down at the kitchen table. "I was just looking at the photographs the Reeds sent and I was wondering, well, if there was a chance that I could go and see them again soon. I know we have to be careful and I'm supposed to stay away as long as possible, but I think that this _is_ as long as possible." My mother looked at me sympathetically, but Roland shook his head. I knew there was no way this would work. Even after the countless lectures I had given Dorian about doing what was right for the kids and not taking my feelings into account, I was sitting here being more selfish than I had ever been.

"Eugenie, sweetie" Roland began softly as he took a seat, "you agreed that the best thing for them was to be left where they were for a while, with long gaps in between your visits, just in case. I know that it's hard on you, but do you think you can hold out a little while longer? At least until their birthday."

"That's such a long time." I breathed. _Six more months_. I wasn't sure if I could stand that, or if I could keep Dorian at bay that long. "If I wait," I had to tread delicately here, "do you think it would be a possibility at all for Dorian to-"

"NO!" Came the all too quick response. "Eugenie, he would compromise everything. You would have to take them away from the Reeds and find a new place for them to hide. It's not worth the risk." Roland lowered his voice when he saw the hurt in my face. "I'm sorry sweetheart, but it's just not a good idea."

"I know, I agree that he can never know who the Reeds are or where they live, but if we could arrange for you and mom to take them somewhere else, some safe location with no ties to Alabama or the Reeds, that wouldn't be so dangerous, right? And if we were found by anything, Dorian and I are more than capable of taking care of them." I was a good negotiator, but I had learned most of that skill from the man sitting across the table from me. The odds were not in my favor.

"And what if Dorian decides to take them back to the Otherworld right then and there? What will you do then? They're his kids too." This question hadn't completely caught me off guard, since I had been thinking of that very scenario since I'd left his palace this morning.

"Then you and I would stop him. Dorian isn't as powerful over here as he is in the Otherworld, and he doesn't know that he's their father. I thought it would be best to make sure the danger was gone before I told him." I had no idea what would happen afterwards if it came to that, but I knew I would do whatever it meant to keep my children safe.

"Hmph, well at least that's a plus. And he would be a lot less powerful if he was wearing some iron restraints." Roland grumbled. I couldn't tell if it was an off-hand comment or a condition of our deal.

"It doesn't need to be that way, but I'm sure he could be persuaded to do whatever you needed him to, to prove to you his intentions are pure." I was really hoping it didn't come to that. I wasn't quite as sure as I sounded that Dorian would be so willing to essentially visit his children in handcuffs. Still, the statement seemed to pacify Roland for a moment while he thought it through.

My mother had been silent through the entire exchange, so it surprised us both when she began to talk. "How about you bring him to dinner Eugenie?" Roland and I both stared at her, eyes wide and mouths open. It was the _last_ thing either of us had expected her to say.

"Now hang on a minute," Roland began. He was scrambling to try and make sense of my mother's change of attitude.

"If Eugenie thinks he's trustworthy then we should give him a shot. That's what you told me. So I say it's about time I met this Dorian and decided for myself. If your father and I agree with your assessment of him by the time the twins turn one, then I think it's only fair we let you make your own decision about whether or not he should be allowed to meet them." Roland didn't look like he liked this idea, but I figured it was the best shot I had. And besides, it wouldn't hurt to get an (mostly) unbiased opinion. I was, after all, sleeping with him and that tended to cloud peoples judgment.

"Agreed!" I said, before my stepfather could object. "When would you like to meet him?" I was eager to seal the deal before she changed her mind.

"How about Thursday, around seven? It will give me time to clean the house and plan something nice to cook." I smiled at her predictability. My mother's house was probably cleaner than the White House, but she always insisted on a thorough two-day tidying before having company over.

"That sounds perfect. I'll let him know as soon as I get back." I walked over to her and hugged her tightly. "Thank you." I whispered in her ear. She gave me a squeeze to say "you're welcome" and I went over to hug Roland goodbye.

"I'm not happy about this Eugenie." He said as he hugged me back.

"You will be. Just promise me that you will try to keep an open mind, please?"

"Yeah, yeah. You sure you don't want to stay here for the night? All that traveling back and forth's got to have you worn out." He was right, I was going to be exhausted after my trip back, but I didn't want to keep Dorian waiting. He would want to hear the news as soon as possible.

"I'm fine," I lied, heading for the front door. "I'll see you guys on Thursday. And remember, he doesn't know that he's the father so please don't tell him." From the look on Roland's face I could tell that that would _not_ be a problem. I flashed a big smile and waved goodbye as I hurried out the door.


	4. The Interview

**I'm starting to get a little writer's block, but hopefully it'll pass soon. I promise the next chapter will be full of smutty goodness for those of you who have missed it, and for those of you who haven't, well, you'll have to suffer through. Please review! I like to know you're there.**

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><p>Dorian was disappointed with the duration of the bargain I had set up with my parents. He had been hoping to see the twins soon and six months felt like just as long of an eternity to him as it did to me. He also wasn't very pleased at my parents having the final say in whether or not he got the chance to see them. I had tried to explain that it was nothing personal, they just wanted to make sure the twins stayed safe, which of he argued with saying that if I trusted him then that was all that mattered.<p>

We had spent the better part of the two days leading up to his first meeting going over that same conversation, each making the same, equally valid, points. When all was said and done though, Dorian had agreed to the deal, though that didn't mean he had stopped grumbling about it. I had decided we should leave for Tucson early so that Dorian could buy something _normal_ to wear. After spending a few hours rummaging through his extensive wardrobe the day I got back, it had become clear to me that nothing he already owned would do. That was Dorian's showy self.

Thursday morning found Dorian whinier than ever.

"Why do I have to bother dressing down, it isn't as if your mother doesn't know what I am." This was true, and I had debated showing up with him in his royal garb, but my mother was still sensitive about the Otherworld and its inhabitants and after all the effort she was putting into trying for me the least I could do was attempt to make it more comfortable for her.

"I've told you already, I just think it would put my mom at ease more if you acted as un-Otherworldly as possible. At least at first." I covered his lips with mine before he could protest further.

Shopping with Dorian was an event that I never want to experience again. It was like shopping with a very whiny, narcissistic child. He thought jeans where ridiculous, tee shirts hideous, Henleys too restrictive, and slacks too monochromatic. He finally agreed to dark khakis and a deep blue button up shirt under the condition that I buy a dress to match. I was very tempted to call the whole thing off right there, but, despite the whining, he was putting forth a valiant effort and I supposed it wouldn't kill me to dress nice for a change. This was a family dinner after all.

My dress was a blue, knee length sundress with spaghetti straps that suited the warm Arizona climate. Dorian would have preferred me in something dressier, but he knew better than to push his luck after the look I had given him when he mentioned hair styles. This was as good as it got. It was getting late so we stopped at my place to get changed and then headed for my parents' house. Even Dorian had to agree that human clothes suited his tall muscular physique. The shirt he wore hugged his body and the half rolled up sleeves showed off his beautiful porcelain skin, as did the fact that he left the top few buttons undone and it made him look completely irresistible. We were almost late because of that.

When Roland opened the door there was a stunned silence at first, followed by a coughing fit to conceal his laughter. He was used to the Dorian I was used to and his new appearance didn't quite have the same effect on him as it had on me. I glared at him and led us into the living room. My mother's reaction was at least what I had been hoping for.

She stood up when we walked in the room and came over to give me a hug.

"Eugenie, you look so beautiful, and you must be Dorian." She surprised all three of us by giving Dorian just as tight of a hug as she gave me.

"Mrs. Markham, it's wonderful to meet you at last. Eugenie speaks of you often." Dorian responded, his voice like honey. I should've known he could handle this. Diplomacy was like a form of art for him.

We took our seats and I braced myself for the intense grilling that was bound to follow.

"I'm making pot roast for dinner, I hope that's alright." My mother directed the statement at Dorian. Not exactly the inquisition I was expecting, but the night was young.

"That sounds wonderful and it smells delicious." He replied, flashing her one of his heart stopping grins. He was right too. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until we'd walked inside and the smell of a simmering pot roast had reached my nose.

"I agree. When will it be ready?" I asked, hoping the answer would be "now".

"In just a few more minutes sweetheart. Actually, why don't you go and check on it while Roland and I get to know your friend a little better." And there it was: that mom-tone that had me feeling like I was thirteen, bringing home a boy for the very first time. I started to object, but she looked at me so sternly that I felt compelled to obey. What was it about mothers?

I gave Dorian's hand a "good luck" squeeze and headed off to the kitchen to check on dinner, trying to move as fast as possible so that they would spend as little time alone as possible. I needed to be there for damage control. I couldn't hear what they were talking about from the kitchen, but I could just make out the faint sound of my mother's laugh as I pulled the roast out of the oven. That seemed like a good sign, hopefully. I was so focused on eavesdropping that I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing and I attempted to take to top off the roast without using a potholder. Bad idea.

"Fuck!" I yelled, dropping the top and moving over to the sink to run my hand under some cool water. A few seconds later Roland showed up in the doorway.

"Burn yourself?" He asked, looking over to the stove and back to me.

"Yeah, I wasn't paying attention." Roland opened a cabinet and pulled out two asprin for me. "Wait a second; you left them alone in there?" I was shocked Roland had let my mother be alone with Dorian.

"She sent me in here; I didn't really have a choice. Also told me to tell you to watch your mouth." He handed me a glass to fill with water so that I could take the asprin. The pain had subsided, so I filled the glass and shut off the sink.

"Is that a good sign or a bad one?" I asked, not really knowing what to think of my mother's attitude thus far.

"Depends on what side you're on." He stuck a fork in the roast to see if it was done. Apparently is was, because he turned the stove off and looked back at me.

"You should be on my side." I said, feeling again like I was a child.

"And you should be on Ivy and Isaac's side." Came the retort.

"I am! They're going to have to meet him one day."

"Not necessarily." He griped. I sighed and got out the first aid kit to bandage my burn. We stood there in silence for a couple of minutes.

"You think we're allowed back in there yet?" I asked, breaking the quite. I wasn't very comfortable with my mom and my boyfriend talking and I was pretty sure that was coming from an entirely human place.

"No need." He nodded towards the kitchen doorway where my mother and Dorian had just arrived. My mom was looking at the open first aid kit.

"Are you alright kiddo?" Kiddo? Seriously?

"I'm fine." I snapped the lid closed and replaced it in the cabinet. I studied Dorian's face, but it was pointless. He was a master at hiding his emotions, so I moved on to my mom. She looked perfectly normal, like we did this every week.

The table was already set and mom motioned for us to take our seats while she put the food on the table. Dinner went by relatively smoothly. There was a lot of small talk and a few brief discussions of Dorian's kingdom, his family (something I had no idea about), and his intentions where I was concerned. That was probably the most awkward ten minutes of my life. Dorian was a perfect gentleman though and it seemed to placate my mom and, to some extent, Roland. I was more than ready to get back home and grill Dorian about what he had said while I was out of the room, but I had to wait through dinner, dessert, and an excruciatingly long cup of coffee. Finally it was time to leave.

"What were you two talking about?" I asked, as soon as we got into my car. Dorian was still extremely uncomfortable being surrounded by all that metal, but he was trying to hide it.

"When?" He asked innocently.

"When Roland and I were banished to the kitchen, that's when!"

"You're very nosey my dear. If your mother had wanted you to know she would have discussed it over dinner."

"You do know you're in my world now, right? I'm stronger than you and I can make you suffer if you force me." I was trying to balance glaring angrily at him with paying attention to the road.

"Is that a threat or a promise?" He raised an eyebrow and raised my dress up my thigh. I swatted his hand away, but I could feel the heat of my face betraying me. I thought for a minute.

"Both." I changed tactics, "please? At least tell me if she's actually ok with you or if she was just pretending for my benefit." I was sure her prejudice would not let her befriend Dorian so easily.

"She just wants you to be happy. And safe. A wish she doesn't get fulfilled often. She thinks you are truly happy with me," he was looking smug now. I knew I was going to regret their private talk. "And probably as safe as you're going to get and she wants to make sure that I keep you that way. With your recent propensity for on again off again relationships though, she thinks that it would be best to give it some time and see where we are in six months." I was rendered momentarily speechless.

"So you're saying she's leery because of my relationship history, not because you're a fairy king who, until just recently, was fully supportive of the world domination prophecy about the grandson of her lunatic rapist?" I was so confused. I had no idea where anybody stood on the issues anymore!

"Yes. Though when you put it that way, it sounds a little…"

"Psychotic? Yeah, it does." I was thankful we were almost back to my house, because I didn't think I could handle driving much farther.

"I'm not saying that she isn't cautious of me, I'm just saying that she is much more open minded than you give her credit for. She really does want you to be happy. Even if that means choosing the life she would have hidden from you forever if she could have. Funny, it's kind of the same plan you have for your children, isn't it?" Ouch. Point one to Dorian.

"I'm not planning on hiding it from them forever, you know that. It's just until they're old enough to understand and make a choice for themselves whether they want it or not."

"They can't fight their heritage; you of all people should know that." Another point won.

"Everyone has a choice. They'll stay safe where they are until they're old enough to take care of themselves and make informed decisions about their own fates."

We were in the driveway now and I quickly cut off the ignition and climbed out of the car. I was done with this conversation.

The night had had the outcome I was hoping for: Dorian and my mom had gotten along. She had as good as told him that she was fine with him meeting Isaac and Ivy, so long as we were still together in six months. Even Roland had let up on the snide remarks and overly protective father behavior a little. Still, Dorian's comment about the similarity between my decision and my mother's bothered me. My world had been shattered into a million pieces when I found out the secret that had nearly gotten me killed and raped countless times. I didn't want to do that to my children, but it seemed like the best option I had.

"Let's get out of these clothes." Dorian said, putting his arm around my waist and pulling me to him as we entered my bedroom.

"Dorian, I-" I really wasn't in a mood to play. I felt stressed and just wanted to take a hot shower and go to bed for a week. I could possibly skip the shower.

"Stop thinking for once and come to bed." He cut me off. "Besides, you have a promise to fulfill."


	5. Stop Thinking

"What promise?" I asked, trying to clear my head.

"You promised to make me suffer." He was grinning in that laconic way of his. "Time to make good on that." He pulled me down onto the bed, on top of him. This wasn't how things usually went with us. Dorian was the dominator, I was the dominated. I was barely ever the one in control. Although, this really didn't count as me being in control, seeing as how he was the one instigating it.

He seemed to realized this because lie still under me, waiting for me to make the first move.

"I tried to tell you earlier, I'm not up for this right now."

Dorian sighed.

"You will follow through on your promise at some point, but I can let it go, for now." I was straddling him and he took advantage of the fact that my flesh was so easily accessible because of the dress I was wearing.

"Stop thinking." He repeated, as his hands worked their magic, sending a warming sensation through my body that melted away my tension. Or rather replaced all of my mental tension with sexual tension instead. I closed my eyes and let the wave of relaxation wash over me.

My body was in an everlasting state if hunger for him. The slightest touch sent shivers through me, like a craving I couldn't seem to fulfill. Even tonight, when I had been so distracted in my own thoughts and worries, his body underneath mine, his adept hands working playfully between my thighs, I was his in mere moments. Body _and_ mind.

I could feel his enjoyment growing as my body responded more and more to his touch. He swiftly pulled my dress off over my head and tossed it carelessly on the floor, followed by my bra, before beginning to attempt one-handed unbuttoning of his own shirt. I snapped back to reality at the momentary absence of his hands. Opening my eyes, I placed them back where they had been so skillfully relaxing me and took on the task of undressing him myself. I pulled him up into a sitting position, still straddling his lap, and hastily removed the fabric that separated our flesh. Our mouths met in a crushing kiss, our naked chests pressing together tightly. Dorian continued to touch me, always stopping just as my breathing picked up and my body involuntarily tensed. Dorian's foreplay was always exquisite and I loved the way he took time to make sure I was thoroughly pleased, but I was impatient tonight; well I was impatient most nights, which was one of the reasons he kept me tied up so much, but tonight we didn't have physical restraints. Just Dorian's unshakable willpower to keep me from ravishing him that instant.

I had always thought it was the guy who was supposed to be unable to control his sexual urges. When I was around Dorian my self-control could make even a horny teenage boy seem like a monk. His presence just ignited something inside of me that was utterly uncontrollable. And believe me I'd tried.

"I want to hear you scream tonight." Dorian whispered in my ear as his hands moved to the outsides of my thighs.

"In frustration or pleasure? Because I would really prefer the latter." I said, a little snappier than I had intended. I really should learn to hold my tongue; it only ever makes things worse.

"Both, now that you mention it." He lowered me on to my back so that my legs were still wrapped around his waist and pressed me close. I could feel him hard against me through the fabrics of his khakis and my underwear and my heart raced as I imagined how it felt with nothing between us. His movements were calculated. He knew exactly how to get what he wanted from me and I was helpless to stop him. Not that I had any desire to. I wanted this. Even though my body was screaming for him to take me immediately, I loved the thrill of being under his control.

His hands caressed my figure making even the least sensitive areas of my body come alive at the contact. He grabbed hold of my legs and brought my foot to his mouth. He started with kissing the tops of my feet, and then moved slowly up my legs, past my thighs, alternating so as to give each part of my body equal attention, adjusting our positions as needed. He skipped over my panties, instead covering my stomach in soft, sweet kisses. I had a sudden flash back to our first night together, when he had used this same excruciating technique to force my mind into getting over its prejudicial fear of giving into him. I had to admit, I definitely liked the way he got my mind off of things.

I was so caught up in the feeling of his hot breath making its way slowly up to my breasts that it took me a moment to realize the strangled, desperate sounds I was hearing were coming from me. Dorian seemed determined to draw a scream out of me though and he moved past my breasts without even the slightest touch. I pouted at him, hoping he would give in to my desire. No luck. In fact, he took it as a sign of encouragement to keep going in the same fashion. My body was crying for him. I couldn't take much more of this! Dorian's mouth made an abrupt shift from my neck back down to the inside of my thigh and it suddenly wasn't just my body that was screaming for him.

"Dorian! Please!" He continued, making no effort to speed things up. "Please, please fuck me!"

"If you're that desperate, why don't you do something about it yourself?" He asked calmly.

I snapped. He _was_ going to give me what I wanted.

I pushed him off of me, forcing him onto his back. I quickly removed my panties and climbed onto of him, placing my knees on either side of his head. He would have to do what I wanted now. I lowered myself to his mouth and moaned loudly as the first stroke of his tongue sent shivers through my entire body. His hands reached up to grab my ass and I used the wall behind the head of my bed to brace myself as my orgasm built up. His mouth felt like heaven; sucking and licking my ultra-sensitive clit. One of his hands moved to slip two fingers inside of me to heighten my pleasure. My moans were getting louder now and I was shaking.

His fingers moved quickly in and out, knowing I was close to finishing.

"Don't stop... Keep... Oh fuck!" The rest of my words turned into indistinguishable moans intertwined with screams and expletives. I stayed where I was until the intensity of Dorian's tongue was too much to stand. I collapsed next to him on the bed, feeling electrified from head to toe. Dorian quickly removed the rest of his clothing and pulled me back on top of him so that I could feel him, hard and hot, beneath me.

"You're not done yet." He reminded me.

I sat up, grinding my hips against his so that I could coat him in my wetness. His hands grasped my hips, but he didn't try to control my motions. This was torturous for him, but I could tell he was enjoying it.

"It's your turn to scream." I told him, letting him almost enter me, and then raising my hips so that I was only just out of reach, even as he arched his hips up towards me.

There was a distinct difference between being on top and being in charge. I was used to being on top of Dorian; I had been in almost every imaginable position with the Oak King, but he was almost always the one calling the shots. Now it was different. He was at my mercy and I wasn't about to make this easy on him.

I reached down and took him between my hands, making long, deliberate strokes that elicited throaty growls of approval from my victim. I watched his face, gauging his level of excitement so that I could know when to stop and make him beg me for more. Those flaring nostrils and that tightening of his chiseled jaw told me it was time to change gears. I stared down at his statuesque body and my arousal began growing once again.

I mimicked Dorian's earlier behavior with me and traced my mouth along his prominent hip bones and inner thighs. Outlining his enormous erection without ever touching it. I wanted to take him into my mouth. I wanted him to fill me until I couldn't take any more. He wouldn't want to finish that way, not wanting to "waste" himself, but I was aching with a desire to taste him now.

As soon as my lips made contact with his flesh, Dorian's muscles tensed and a hand reached for my head, attempting to force my mouth to where he wanted it. I shoved it away, continuing with my barrage of kisses.

"Eugenie... Please..." came his strangled pleas. The urgency in his voice told me I must be doing something right. Dorian did _not_ beg often.

I was done teasing; he had suffered enough for one night. My mouth engulfed him, taking in as much of him as I could without making myself gag. He was warm and hard and I could still faintly taste myself on him. His hands moved for my head again, but this time I didn't stop them. The fingers tangled in my hair began to shake as my mouth worked quickly to alleviate Dorian's building orgasm. At the last minute he roughly pulled me up on to him, thrusting into me with a wild desperation. Within seconds he was screaming primally as my wetness consumed him.

He slid a finger in between us and quickly worked to get me off for the second time, while he was still hard inside of me. It didn't take long. Dorian knew exactly what to do, he just usually used that knowledge to prolong my orgasms, not expedite them. There was a rush of fire through my veins, and then I was collapsing onto his chest. Our bodies were both covered in sweat and he was glistening in the light of my lamp.

Kissing my forehead, he held me in a snug embrace.

"Did I make you suffer enough?" I asked, stifling a yawn. I was exhausted.

"More than enough." He answered, playfully adding "for now," before getting up to turn off the light and crawling back into bed.

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><p><strong>Please R&amp;R.<strong>


	6. Time

The next morning I treated Dorian to a hearty human breakfast. Or rather, Tim treated us to one. Lara had left early and Tim had to get to his job by nine, so he had cooked up a delicious meal of cinnamon buns and bacon and left them in the oven to stay warm, with a note telling us to enjoy when we woke up and to try to keep the noise down when the _responsible_ people were trying to get some sleep. I had laughed out loud to this part when I read it. No matter how nice a suit Tim put on, I would never be able to consider _him_ responsible. It was just too weird.

I was starving by the time we made it into the kitchen and I piled my plate fill of the sweet, cinnamon goodness. Dorian eyed my plate with disgust, though I detected a slight hint of curiosity.

"They're delicious. You should give 'em a try." I told him as I bit into one of the buns.

"I think I'll wait until we get back. I can only take so much of this world at once, my dear. May we leave soon?"

"Sure." I sighed, licking the frosting off of my fingers provocatively. "I do really need to get back to my lands. They've been calling." I hadn't gotten the chance to bond with my lands in almost two weeks and I was starting to feel their slight tug.

"Can I at least finish breakfast first?" It felt a shame to let all of Tim's hard work go to waste.

"I suppose. It would be much more enjoyable for me to sit here and watch though if you were naked." That mind of his was constantly in the gutter. I glowered at him. "It was just a suggestion."

I still had an anchor to Dorian's kingdom in my house, so we didn't have to travel to the crossroads to get back. I introduced Dorian to the joys of indoor plumbing, coercing him into a hot shower before heading back to the Otherworld.

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><p>We had worked out a plan with my parents to come over once every two weeks for dinner. Which translated to a catered relationship assessment. I still wasn't very comfortable with my parents being so involved in my love life, but I knew my feelings for Dorian might be blinding me to some unseen ulterior motives. I hoped we were just being overly cautious, that Dorian had indeed turned over a new leaf and was ready to be with me for me, not my powers or my legacy. I believed that in my heart, but my head was still reluctant to trust him implicitly. If it was just my life I was playing with, I wouldn't be so suspicious, but I had to be vigilant when it came to my kids.<p>

Six months went by fast and silent. Business in the Otherworld was as calm as I had ever seen it. Everyone still seemed to be weary of starting anything after the devastation most of us had endured after the Blight. The few kingdoms not effected were still trying to get there system of government back on track and in no hurry to acquire more lands to have to contend with. Dorian and I had spies listening for any news of Maiwenn's plans for finding Isaac, but so far there had been no word. I hadn't heard from Kiyo since that day he found me out shopping. He had tried to make it sound as if Maiwenn was the only one of them who believed the Storm King's prophecy was still in danger of being fulfilled, but I knew he thought it too. Even if he wasn't completely sold on the idea, he would do whatever Maiwenn told him to. Even if that meant murdering an innocent baby just because of who is grandfather was. As far as I knew though, the two of them hadn't attempted anything yet. Candace was reporting anything unusual to Roland, even if she didn't think it was significant, just in case it meant something to us that it didn't to her. He even had her reporting strange weather patterns in the event the twins started developing their magic early. We were hoping it would take them until at least their teens to get strong enough to warrant action. It was highly unlikely considering how strong Dorian and I were, but a girl could hope. It would make things so much easier.

Candace was nothing if not thorough. Her pictures had become more frequent, along with letters about their development, not that I was complaining. We usually had something new to look at after dinner every visit. The twins were growing like crazy and I was dying to see them in person again. Staying away was so much harder than I thought it was going to be.

Things had gotten steadier with Dorian and me. We were hardly ever apart anymore. Spending equal amounts of time in the Thorn, Rowan, and Oak Lands. Even my visits to Tucson mostly included him. Our bi-weekly dinners had gotten a lot more comfortable and everyone got along now, for the most part. I was pretty sure Roland would never get over his aversion to Dorian's gentry heritage, but he did seem like he was starting to get along with Dorian as a person. I knew things were getting too cozy when, about three weeks before the six month mark, my mom took me in the kitchen with her, away from "the men", and started dropping _some_ not so subtle hints about marriage.

"All I'm saying is that the two of you make a very nice couple and you seem to be very committed; he _is_ the father of your children after all."

"Mom!" I yelled at her, hoping to God she hadn't been overheard.

"Whoops, sorry sweetie. He's going to find out sometime. If you really trust him then you should tell him soon rather than later. I learned my lesson with telling lies, Eugenie, I wish you had too." She came over to me and hugged me. "I know you're just trying to do what's best for Ivy and Isaac, but I think you may be using that as a bit of an excuse."

"An excuse? For what?" She was confusing me.

"For _not_ making a decision. You keep talking about 'one day' and 'when they're older', but trust me, it's always going to be later. That day never comes. You just keep thinking the right time will come, but it never does." Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. I hadn't even realized it, but she was right. I did keep putting it off in my mind. Thinking over every scenario for telling Dorian, bringing the twins to live with me, but there was always some excuse that made it dangerous or impractical. I wanted to do what was best for my children, but how did I know what that was? Was it better to grow up thinking you were something you weren't, thinking you were _less_ than you were, but have a normal human existence, or was it better to grow up with your true family, as royalty, followed around by servants and guards 24/7, never having any privacy or normal childhood experiences?

"But how _can_ I make a decision? I'm terrified of making the wrong choice. It could literally be a life or death decision and I could never forgive myself if I put them in unnecessary harm."

"I know you're going to think I'm crazy for saying this, and maybe I am, but have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, this world _isn't_ where they belong? It kills me to say it, but Dorian's world is over there," she still wasn't completely comfortable talking about the Otherworld, "and lately, yours has been too. Your father and I, and the twins, are the only things that keep you coming back here. You're happy there. You have responsibilities to those people, they rely on you and you rely on them. Probably more than you realize."

"Yes, but… it's not like… I mean-" I was at a loss for words. How was it that moms always knew exactly what was going on inside your head, even if you didn't? "So you think I should tell Dorian and move the twins to the Otherworld with me?" I wanted her to tell me what to do. I wanted someone, anyone, to tell me what to do. This was too big of a decision for me to make on my own.

"It doesn't matter what I think, it matters what you think. I'm just saying that you should make sure to look at this from all perspectives. I know you'll make the right decision baby. Just remember: four hands are better than two, especially when it comes to taking care of twins. And you seem to have two very dedicated, very handsome, hands in the other room that would be more than willing to help. And if he's going to be with you anyway, what would it hurt to make it official?" I was prevented from replying by Roland's entrance into the kitchen to see what was taking us so long.

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><p>Dorian couldn't figure out why my insomnia had come back with a vengeance after that, and I wasn't about to tell him. There was too much I needed to work out first. Our conversation had left me with more questions than before, mainly: who was this alien imposter and what had she done with my mother? She did have a good point though. As usual. My children most likely didn't belong in the world I had grown up in. Was I being selfish? Was I unintentionally forcing them into something that was against their nature? I didn't even know how being mostly gentry in a human world would affect them. What if my human blood wasn't very prominent and they had more difficulties than I expected? There were just too many questions that had no answers. I couldn't predict how human or gentry they were; I would just have to wait it out. Hopefully an answer would come to me before it was too late and someone got hurt.<p>

The week before the twins' birthday, Roland told me the details of his plan. It was just me, him and mom for once, so we could speak openly about everything. I was to leave for the Reeds the next day, so that I could be part of the birthday party Candace had planned for them and also get some time alone with them. I had a feeling my mom had something to do with that part. My parents would travel to Virginia, the location he had chosen for the meeting. It was relatively close to Alabama, as close as it could be without the possibility of leading a would-be murderer/kidnapper to them. They would take an anchor I had given them from Dorian and he would use that to cross over. Since there would be no way of contacting Dorian to tell him when to use the anchor, Roland made sure he and mom would be in Virginia at least a day earlier than they told Dorian to arrive. Just in case they hit any unforeseen travel issues. After he met them, we would travel back to his kingdom together, using the anchor, and my parents would take the twins back to the Reeds. It was a convoluted plan, but that's what we were going for.

Before I left I asked Roland about his opinion on what my mother had said.

"I agree that Dorian has turned out to be a lot… less awful than I thought he was before and the two of you do seem happy together, but I think you've made the right decision keeping the twins where they are and not telling Dorian about him being the father. They're safe where they are. And you know how the gentry are, I'm not saying Dorian doesn't love you sweetie, as best he can, but they're fickle with that sort of thing. I don't think it's a good idea for you to be taking him too seriously just yet. Give it some time." Well, at least Roland was still his usual self. Although, his answer didn't help my decision making one bit.

Why couldn't everyone just agree on something, and then tell me what the best course of action was?

Unfortunately my life didn't work that way.

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><p><strong>I know this chapter was a little long, but I'm trying to get passed the boring stuff to get to the good stuff :) Thanks for sticking with me. I hope you like what's to come! Please R&amp;R <strong>


	7. Introductions

**This story is turning out to be a lot longer and more developed than I had thought it would when I started, but just try to hang in there with me. I'm working on it!**

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><p>Today was the day. I had barely slept last night and it had very little to do with the twins' eating and changing schedule. My stomach was churning with the knowledge that in less than two hours Dorian would be meeting his children for the first time.<p>

The excitement was keeping me wired, despite the lack of sleep. I was also feeling like a mother for the first time and I couldn't have loved it more. It was going to be a lot harder to leave this time. Any agony I had to endure after leaving would be completely worth it though. Looking into those tiny faces, seeing those heartbreaking smiles and shining eyes, that were looking more and more like their father's every time I saw them, it was completely worth it to keep them safe.

I did develop a new founded respect for single mothers after traveling with the twins however. It was difficult enough to make the winding trip by myself, let alone with two infants to take care of. Especially when they didn't seem quite used to me yet. I imagined how difficult it would have been if we had been traveling through the Otherworld, with no convenient double-strollers or disposable diapers. Although, to be fair, if I was in the Otherworld I would have Dorian and tons of servants to help me out and follow us around.

I got Isaac and Ivy dressed and ready; Isaac in some OshKosh B'Gosh blue jeans and a dinosaur shirt and Ivy in a pink ladybug shirt with pants to match. Candace had tried to make me pack a dress for her but I had put my foot down. We were going to a park. There was no way a dress was the most practical attire for the sandbox or swings. Dorian would have probably agreed with _her_ though.

The playground we had agreed to meet at was over an hour away from the hotel the three of us were staying at; another safety precaution.

The Virginia weather was warm, no sign of the 40% chance of rain I had heard predicted on the evening news. I spotted Dorian immediately when I pulled into the parking lot, standing tall with his long, auburn hair dancing like flames in the wind. He had finally given into wearing jeans and the results were breathtaking. Pacing back and forth, he naturally looked like a Calvin Kline model in his dark blue jeans and plain white tee shirt. God he was beautiful. Those kids had hit the gene pool jackpot. Beside Dorian stood Roland and my mother. I had worried about her coming along, just in case there were any kidnapping attempts, but she had insisted on being included in the opportunity to see her grandchildren, even with the risk. I had to admit I was glad for the buffer between Dorian and Roland. Even though they were only going to be together for minimal time without me, I still had my worries.

I waved, calling Roland over to help me carry the twins. Even from far away I could see the excitement in Dorian's face. I handed Ivy to Roland and picked up little Isaac out of his car seat. Ivy cooed at her grandpa as he led us over to the picnic blanket they had set up. My mother was sitting patiently at one corner, waiting for us. Dorian was pacing like a caged tiger waiting to pounce.

I flashed him a smile and took a seat next to where he was standing. He immediately sat down beside me, never taking his wide eyes off of Isaac.

"Dorian I would like you to meet my son Isaac," I turned Isaac around and sat him in my lap to face his father, "and my daughter Ivy," a gestured to my other child who was being cuddled and kissed now by her grandma as well. We would have to take turns. I could almost see Dorian's heart melting as he looked from Isaac to Ivy in wonder.

"They're so beautiful" he breathed after a moment.

"I think so. Do you want to hold him?" He looked as if I had just asked him if he wanted to be king of the universe, which I might have, if Maiwenn's theory was correct. But I was positive it wasn't.

I sat Isaac in Dorian's lap and watched them study each other in silence. Isaac reached out to grab Dorian's hair, which had blown towards him in a momentary wind gust.

"I think he likes you" I told him, feeling more complete than I ever had. This was my family. My wonderful, human, gentry, shaman, royal family.

"Do you want to hold Ivy?" My mother asked after a few minutes had gone by. She wanted her turn with her grandson now. She and Dorian switched twins and I witnessed something that I was pretty sure no one would believe if I told them.

Dorian, Oak King, speaking like a baby.

Smitten wasn't a strong enough word for what he was when Ivy smiled at him. She reached for him with her tiny arms, wanting to be held closer and that was all it took. He spent the next thirty minutes telling her how beautiful she was and that she was a princess, a name that most fathers call their daughter, only in this instance it was the truth. I had to admit, though only to myself, that I was a little jealous. She connected with him immediately, whereas she was still kind of fussy around me.

The twins got restless after a little while so we laid them down on the blanket and I took some toys out of their diaper bag. Dorian watched them play, mesmerized.

Ivy was crawling around the blanket trying to find a weak spot in our defenses so that she could roam free. The pebbles and grass seemed to be calling for her to come and play. Isaac, on the other hand, was perfectly content to stay where he was, laughing hysterically as his little plastic ball zoomed back and forth between him and Dorian.

"Eugenie! Get that pebble from her before she swallows it!" My mother screeched at me. I had looked away from Ivy for a millisecond, during which she had somehow managed to grab a small, flat stone about the size of her hand. I was pretty sure she'd have a difficult time fitting it into her mouth, let alone swallowing it, but I complied.

"How on earth did she find that thing? I thought I had gotten all the stones away from this edge."

"Babies find everything Eugenie. They're remarkably good at discovering everything they're not supposed to have." Mom informed me. I put the stone in my pocket and wiped the dirt off of Ivy's hands.

"Hmm..." Dorian muttered, studying Ivy. She had begun her hunt again, now that her spoils had been confiscated. Isaac was unhappy now that he wasn't the center of Dorian's attention anymore and he let him know it with a very angry, incomprehensible sentence. There was another gust of wind, larger than before, and Isaac's ball rolled out of its secure place next to Dorian's leg and in between my mom and its owner. Isaac frowned and started squirming away to get it.

"I hope it doesn't start storming." My mother said, looking up at the sky. "That dark cloud doesn't look so good." She grabbed the ball in one hand and the child in the other. Once reunited, Isaac's smile returned. As did the sunlight.

Dorian looked at me and raised an eyebrow. It wasn't going to rain, but I had felt something. Something small and weak, like the cloud had changed its mind. I knew what Dorian's look meant. Fuck.

"Um, Roland, can I talk to you for a second?" I stood up and led Roland out of earshot.

"What's wrong? Are you sensing magic or something?" He asked, worried we were about to be attacked.

"I'm not sure, but I think... I think that was Isaac. The storm cloud and the gust of wind." It sounded ridiculous when I said it out loud, but I could swear I had felt it. I could sense when someone was using magic like mine and it was just for a second, but it definitely felt like magic.

"Damn. Can they really use it that soon? I mean, is that normal?" He was rubbing his temples, trying to figure out what to do next.

"Apparently. Dorian said some gentry kids could work magic from birth."

"Your kids aren't gentry kids!" He didn't raise his voice, but there was a distinct changed in tone.

"Technically, they are. Three-fourths at least. I know you don't like it but it's how things are. I don't know what to do about this, if Isaac really is starting to use magic. Candace will have to know, or we'll have to take them back to the Otherworld, I just-" I was cut off by Dorian calling my name.

"We can figure this out later. Maybe it was just a fluke." Roland tried to comfort.

I walked back to the blanket. Ivy was sitting in Dorian's lap and he had a cryptic look on his face that I could quite discern.

"Ivy, don't you have something you want to give mommy?" He asked her in a sweet, honey-like voice. He turned her hand over and in her palm was a small, flat stone like the one she had found before.

"Thank you sweetie" I said, taking it from her, " I'll put it right here with the other-" I reached into my pocket but the stone was gone. Had it fallen out and she picked it back up? As that thought was crossing my mind, I felt the stone slide out of my hand. Ivy giggled as she turned it over in her grasp. I stared at Dorian. He stared back with that same expression.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me, my dear?"

The realization of what just happened hit me and I understood what Dorian's expression conveyed. Hurt. And _pride_.

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><p><strong>Hope it met your expectations. More wonderful Doriantwins time to come. R&R**


	8. Betrayal

**I know this chapter's a little shorter than the others, but it just wrapped itself up so perfectly I couldn't really add anything else. Don't worry, I'll update the next chapter soon!**

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><p>I was frozen. <em>Fuck<em>. _Fuck, fuck, fuck_. I just stood there, staring down at Dorian and Ivy, waiting for my mouth the catch up with my brain.

"Everything ok?" Roland asked as he reached the blanket. He had been far enough behind me that he hadn't heard the exchange. My mother picked up Isaac. Standing up, she handed him to Roland and gave him an "I'll explain later" look.

"I think it's time to try the swings, what do you think Ivy?" she asked, reaching over to take the giggling baby from Dorian's lap. He reluctantly handed her over, giving her a tiny kiss on the cheek before he did. She handed him her stone for safe keeping, then wrapped her arm around grandma's neck.

I thanked her silently with a look. This might get ugly. I didn't want Isaac and Ivy to be around the thunderstorm of fury that was bound to be coming for me.

Dorian still sat on the ground, looking up at me. Waiting for a response. I still couldn't think of what to say.

"You assured me that there was no chance. You were clear about the kitsune's _involvement_." He broke the silence, spitting the word out like it was painful to say aloud.

"I know. I didn't think there _was_ a chance. I didn't realize it was possible. If Kiyo hadn't explained it to me, I wouldn't have known it was." I settled on the blanket near him and noticed the slightest shift in his body. His muscles had stiffened and he leaned away from me, making my heart ached.

"How long, Eugenie?" He snapped at me, his usually silken voice was like ice. I stared at the blanket, absentmindedly playing with a loose thread. I didn't want to answer.

"How long?"

I sighed.

"Just since a few weeks before I came back to the Otherworld. Back to you." I tried to sound nonchalant, like it was barely any time. Which, to a gentry, it was. But the hurt in Dorian's face told me it was as bad as if I had been hiding this from him for a century.

"_A few weeks before you came back_? How could you let me go all this time thinking..." He stood up and started pacing angrily. "You let me believe that there was a chance they could grow up to be kitsune! Do you know how sickening, how painful, that thought was? How could you keep this hidden from me for so long?"

"I wanted to tell you, believe me I did!" I reached for up at him for his hand, but he pulled it away. I had never seen his so hurt. Being the unnecessary cause of it killed me, but I had been doing what I thought was best. He couldn't fault me for that forever. Could he?

"But you didn't. Just how low _is_ your opinion of my intelligence? Did you think I wouldn't figure it out for myself? That I wouldn't notice?"

"Notice what?"

"Eugenie, really? Look at your children closely. You're not the only one reflected in those faces. Last time I checked, neither you nor Kiyo has eyes like those. Or the ability to make rocks fly around." It didn't seem like an appropriate time to bring up the fact that genetics didn't always work that way and it was possible for kids to have a different color eyes than either of their parents. It _was_ more than just the eyes though. Isaac's hair color had started to shift to more of an autumny red hue, like Dorian's as opposed to the color of mine, and, even though their faces were still mostly undefined, round and baby-like, they did seem to be leaning towards Dorian's strong, distinct features.

"I didn't know about the rock thing until just a few minutes ago when you found out. I had no idea they were accessing their magic yet, I swear! And I was going to tell you. I just, wasn't sure when... And I had to make their safety my top priority-"

"Bullshit!" He interrupted. I had been a bad influence on him linguistically. "Their 'safety' is not an excuse. You know I would do anything for those children. How would the knowledge that they were mine have made a difference in that? At the most it would have made them safer because I would have never left their sides."

"Exactly! You've already told me you didn't agree with them staying here in the human world. This was the best option for them; telling you and having you move heaven and earth to keep them safe was second best. You would have never let me leave them if you'd known." This was an argument I had gone over countless times in my head and I recited it like a speech I'd memorized for school.

"None of that matters anymore now. They have to come back with us." He was regaining his composure, obviously calculating what his next move was going to be.

"That's debatable. I have to consider all of the options." He was probably right though. If they were already starting to use their magic it was only a matter of time before something got out of control or someone noticed.

"Don't you mean 'we'?" Again, I was at a loss for words. This was exactly why I had dreaded telling him. But then again, didn't I_ want_ someone else to have to make some of the hard decisions for a change. Everything in life came with a price.

"Please Dorian; I don't want to do this right now." Or ever, if I could help it.

"Then you should have told me before so we could have dealt with your deception in private." His voice was harsh again. It sounded so strange coming from Dorian's soft mouth and I didn't like it.

"It's not as if you haven't lied to me for the greater good before." I knew it was a low blow, but he needed to see the similarity. He was essentially getting pissed over something he'd done to me plenty of times.

"And you made it clear that was unacceptable behavior in your book. You certainly held a grudge for long enough. And then you turn around and do the same thing you despised me for doing? Hardly seems fair. I had no idea you were capable of such hypocrisy." I opened my mouth to deny it, outraged at his comparison, bit he was right. I had done exactly what I had told him not to. I had hated him for deceiving me and made him jump through hoops to win my trust back, and then I turn right around and keep something this monumental from him during the new, honest phase of our relationship. How many times had I let him be hurt? Let him think that Kiyo was the father of these magnificent babies and not him?

I couldn't look at him. I had been wrong to hide it from him and I knew that now. How could I have made such a stupid decision?

"I'm sorry." was all I could manage. Still not looking up at him.

"This conversation is by no means over Eugenie, but we're wasting time sitting here arguing. Time I could be spending with _my_ children." He was staring towards the direction of the swings, watching my parents push the twins back and forth. He stopped pacing and strode toward them, leaving me, and our argument, behind.

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><p><strong>Please R&amp;R. <strong>


	9. Decisions

I stayed there for a few moments, trying to get my composure before going over to them. When I finally walked over to the swings, Dorian and Roland were locked in a heated discussion about what to do with the two little children they were pushing back and forth in the baby swings. Ever the mediator, my mother was interjecting where she could, although she didn't really understand the full repercussions of Isaac and Ivy using their magic today.

Dorian ignored my arrival and continued talking to Roland.

"They need to be somewhere they can be taught and raised properly, not here with ignorant humans." He was being careful to keep his voice even, so as not to upset the twins. Roland followed suit, ignoring Dorian's antagonistic remark.

"There are other options. Besides, we don't even know if they'll use it again. They haven't up to now. Maybe it was just being around Eugenie and you. Once they're back safe, it might not happen again. At least not for a while."

"You may be willing to risk lives on that unlikely presumption, but I am not."

"I didn't realize you were so concerned about us ignorant humans." Roland retorted.

"I'm not. I'm only concerned with my children's safety. They have very little control over the things they do at this age. You saw the storm cloud earlier. Granted, it was nothing compared to what his mother can do, but it was big enough to notice, and an unintended consequence of his temper. Anyone hunting them would know what kind of magic to be looking for. What happens when he gets angrier and the storms gets bigger and more frequent? This _could_ be an isolate incident, but it could also be just the beginning." It was easy to see which of the two possibilities he was hoping for.

"We will keep a closer eye on them. If, and I stress the word if, their magic starts giving them away then Eugenie can take them with her so they can be surrounded by guards every second of the day, but if this is just because the two of you are around then there's no point in uprooting them. They still have a chance at some normalcy where they are, if you take them over _there _they'll be no coming back."

"Normalcy for whom? These children are shining ones, for the most part. They belong in the Otherworld. The sooner the better in my opinion. " It was a good thing this park was empty and pretty isolated. This was not a good conversation for humans to overhear.

"Well a kingdom full of gentry who want them dead live in that world, so excuse me if I don't jump for joy at the idea of them being brought closer to that!" Roland was still talking quietly, but his calm tone had gotten rough and impatient.

"A kingdom that I would have destroyed by now if your step-daughter wasn't so adamantly against the idea war, and that I _will_ destroy, no matter what her wishes are, if any member of it attempts to harm one hair on either of my children's heads." Dorian's voice was calm and deliberate. He didn't even gesture my way when he talked about me.

"Just stop for a second. There has to be more options than that; safer options." My mother interjected politely, trying to calm the two men down. "Isn't there some way to block their magic, temporarily? Like you did with Eugenie, Roland."

Dorian looked like he was going to hit something.

Roland looked thoughtful.

There was silence for a long time while Roland contemplated my mother's suggestion and Dorian gritted his teeth to keep from shouting whatever was on his mind.

"No." Everyone turned to look at me. I had been so quiet I'm pretty sure they'd forgotten I was there.

"Sweetie, it could be the best option-" Roland began.

"No. I'm not going to do that to them. I can't." I had been as undecided as they were about what steps to take next, until that very moment. Hearing the arguments spoken aloud, instead of in my head, had started to make up my mind and then the mention of repressing their magic had sealed the deal. I would not put them through that.

"Then what are you going to do?" Roland asked. I could tell he was hoping I'd say we should leave them with Candace and wait and see. I was sick of waiting and seeing. I had never been one for inaction and it had only led to trouble so far.

"I'll take them back with me. Dorian's right," I looked over at Dorian, but even that comment didn't warrant a glance my way. "It's too risky leaving them here without protection, and it's too impractical for me to stay in this world indefinitely. There's really no other option."

"Maybe you should think about this for a little while." Roland insisted.

"I've been thinking about it for a year Roland, there's no better option." I snapped a little more forcefully than I had meant to, then softened my tone. "If Maiwenn's determined to do something, she will. Whether they're here or in the Otherworld, it won't make a difference. Yes, she'll know where they are if I take them back, but she won't be able to touch them. If she finds them here, they'll be virtually defenseless. Especially if she sends Kiyo. Shamanic magic won't be able to stop him and you know how strong and determined he can be. At least if they're with us there won't be any opportunity for Maiwenn to use element of surprise against us."

The conversation was brought to a halt by Ivy crying. Dorian stopped the swing and picked her up, all remnants of his anger towards Roland and me disappearing as he looked into her face. She stopped the loud screams, but was still obviously trying to tell us something. Of course, as soon as Isaac saw Ivy being cuddled, his fussing started too.

"Sounds like lunch time." My mother said, taking her opportunity to end the arguing and get back to the family time. She Picked up Isaac and headed back over to the blanket, bouncing him as she walked to calm the shrieking. The wind was picking up sporadically, matching his fiercest yells.

We followed with Ivy. Dorian still hadn't spoken directly to me, but he was looking much happier now. I completely understood how he felt towards me, because I'd had those same feelings of betrayal when he'd tricked me about the Iron Crown. It made me sick knowing that I had been such a hypocrite. At least he was happy about the twins though. I wholly deserved his anger, but after everything he'd done for me lately he deserved for that happiness to be untainted.

Mom took the jars of baby food and two plastic spoons out of the cooler, handing one of each to Dorian, followed by a bib. She started feeding Isaac and Dorian mimicked her actions with Ivy, who was starting to get very attached to her daddy. I wondered if being raised by the Reeds had inadvertently made her, like them, receptive to everyone, or if she just naturally felt a pull towards Dorian. He was obviously equally as smitten with her since the moment her saw her.

"Do you want to feed Isaac, Eug?" My mother held out the spoon for me to take, but not the grandchild. Smiling at her possessiveness, I scooted closer and filled the spoon with mashed sweet potatoes. The wind disappeared for the most part. Isaac's mood lifting as his tummy filled.

"When do you think you should take them?" Roland asked, returning to our conversation.

"I think we should let the Reeds say goodbye before I take them, and I want to introduce them to Tim and Lara, so I guess about a week or so." I figured there was no point in not talking about the Reeds anymore, since the twins wouldn't be staying with them anymore. It was going to be hard to break the news to them. They loved those kids so much and had done so much for them. I would never be able to repay them for as long as I lived.

"Do you want to us to go with you? We had already planned to go that way."

"If you want. I could use some help with these two." I kissed Isaac's little forehead.

Banishing demons I could do; ruling two kingdoms? Simple. Taking care of two one-year-olds, though, _that_ I needed some help with. Maybe I'd get better with time. I hoped I wasn't one of those women who just weren't cut out for motherhood. I'm sure my skills would improve; I just didn't have any practice with this yet. It'd get better.

We finished planning, something we'd done a lot of recently, and played with the twins some more. It was getting late and they needed a nap, so we eventually had to call it a day around six. Dorian was reluctant to say goodbye, but the knowledge that they would be with him in his world soon enough seemed to help.

"Goodbye Thundro, I'll see you soon. Try not to create any hurricanes before you get home." Dorian gave him a hug, still holding Ivy in his lap.

When I tried to pick her up to put her in the car seat she started screaming at me.

"What? What did I do?" I tried walking around and bouncing her a little bit to calm her down, but she just kept on howling.

Dorian laughed and stood up. Taking her from me, he held her close and hummed some soft tune I'd never heard before. She stopped crying immediately. How the hell did he do that?

"You have to be good for mommy while I'm away. Don't worry, I'll see you soon enough, no need to fuss." He gave Ivy a kiss on the cheek and she laid her head down on his shoulder. My mouth fell open. God he was frustrating.

"Just let him get her to sleep, then u can put her in the car seat." Mom interjected, seeing my expression.

Dorian starting humming again, a slight chuckle in his voice.


	10. Homecoming

**This took a bit longer to write than I had expected. Sorry about that. This is nearly the end of my story... I hope you enjoy. **

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><p>The Reeds' goodbye went well. It was obvious they were going to miss them, but everyone seemed genuinely happy about me being able to take Isaac and Ivy back with me. Even Evan congratulated me with 100% sincerity. I felt bad telling him about me and Dorian; he had been so sweet and helpful, and I had needed it, but it wasn't enough. It wasn't Dorian.<p>

I promised to send just as many pictures as Candace had and that I'd bring them to town once in a while for visits. I was glad I had brought my parents along, because Candace forced a ton of baby supplies on us and I needed help transporting it all. Refusing was a wasted effort. They didn't really have a use for it now anyway.

The trip back home seemed short compared to the one I'd taken to get there. Of course, it was, because it was a straight shot as opposed to a convoluted trek across the country to confuse would-be gentry assassins.

Ivy and Isaac had gotten a little bit more comfortable with me. I managed to get them to stop crying a couple of times, without my mother's help. She kept telling me not to worry about it and that I was just overreacting, but I couldn't help but feel like there was something wrong with me. Like they knew I had abandoned them and they were taking it out on me by crying every time I picked them up. Ok, so it wasn't every time, but it felt like it. At least Isaac was warming up to me. Although that was probably just because he liked it when I used my magic to make the bath water swoosh about or to blow the wind around to dry his fiery locks.

Ivy liked it too, but not the same way Isaac did.

Mom transformed my old bedroom into a nursery with the items Candace had given us. We were staying there for a few days while my servants got the nursery set up back in the Thorn Land. I was curious and a bit worried about what they would come up with in a world without plastic. Babies were pretty rare there, but surely Shaya would be able to find _someone_ who knew what they were doing.

I planned for us to cross over into Dorian's castle, using an anchor; he wanted to see them as soon as possible and it would be the safest route. Roland was going to help me with the process. It should be easy enough to carry them over, being that they were mostly fey, but I wanted to be sure. Roland's magic would make it easier.

I got together a bag full of things they need, like their favorite toys and foods, and some bubble bath. Just in case gentry soaps didn't fizz up the way Mr. Bubble did. I was nervous about taking them, not because I was afraid Maiwenn might do something, but because of how Dorian and I had left things. I knew he would be great to the kids, but I had no idea how long his anger at _me_ would last. It'd taken me months to get over him lying to me, and this was a much bigger deal than that. I'd lied to him about the most important thing in his life. _I_ wouldn't forgive me anytime soon, but I wished every moment of every day that _he_ would. Now I only had a few more minutes before I found out if he had.

It was hot and muggy when we got to the crossroad. Isaac and Ivy were fussy and I could feel Isaac trying to pull some wind around us. I was pretty positive it was unintentional; just his subconscious desire to cool off himself and his surroundings. His magic was very weak, but he managed a light gust once or twice while we were trying to cross. It took more energy than I was used to needing, but with Roland's help it wasn't that difficult. We were over in no time.

Dorian had placed the anchor in the chamber adjacent to his bedroom. The last time I'd seen it, it had been an elaborately decorated sitting room, with ornate furnishings and dark colors, but now it had been completely transformed. I barely recognized where we were. The color in the room had been changed to a calming yellowish-gold that still matched with the rest of the castle's usual wine colored décor, and there were elegantly painted vines of ivy wrapping around the borders. There were two cribs sitting next to each other in the middle of the room. They were both beautifully crafted just like the ones Dorian had given me, except one had ivy leaves carved into the head and foot boards while the other had little lightning bolts and storm clouds. Above each crib was a mobile, each with a set of intricately designed animals made of thin copper and gemstones, dangling close enough to see, but high enough to be safe for the twins. The cribs were blanketed with golden silk sheets and identical, and hand sown from the looks of it, stuffed bears. There were bookcases on one wall, filled with what I assumed were gentry children's books, although considering human children's books were full of fairytales, I wondered what these stories could possibly be about. The opposite wall had a large changing table area and two pint-sized wardrobes, again hand carved, one with ivies and one with lightning bolts. In the corners by either side of the large fireplace there were two beautiful, oversized rocking chairs.

I tried to swallow back the lump in my throat before I started crying in front of Roland.

"Huh, he doesn't waste any time does he?" Roland commented, looking around.

"I didn't have much time to waste." Dorian answered, walking over to us. "How was the trip?" His question was more directed at Isaac and Ivy than it was at me, but I answered anyway.

"Hot, but it went well. Isaac tried to drum up a tornado to cool us off."

"Really?" He beamed at Isaac. "And how successful was that endeavor, Thundro?" He took Isaac out of my arms and carried him over to his new crib, still not really acknowledging me.

"He managed a few small gusts."

"Don't worry; you'll be conjuring storms in no time, my son."

Roland looked like he had a lot to say about that comment, but he kept his mouth shut about it for the moment. Instead, he said goodbye and good luck and took his leave.

And then it was just me and Dorian. And our children.

"I love what you've done with the place." I said, trying to lighten the mood once Roland left. Ivy was watching Isaac play with his new teddy bear. I could feel a jealous tantrum coming on so I moved her over to her own crib. Once there, she completely ignored her own bear and instead beacame mesmerized by the mobile. She started giggling and reaching for it and it swayed ever so gently. Dorian looked pleased.

"Now, now, if you pull it down you won't be able to enjoy watching it twirl anymore." He tsked at Ivy. She didn't pay any attention and started reaching more intently, a crease forming on her porcelain forehead. The copper mobile quivered, looking for a moment as if it were about to fall, before coming to a dead halt. Dorian tsked again and picked Ivy up. He spun the mobile himself, watching her watch the little animals spin around. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed, instantly calmed and apparently resigned from her attempts to hold the twirling copper object.

He was a natural at being a father.

"How long are you going to keep pretending I'm not here?" I asked in earnest.

"Until you leave, then I won't have to pretend anymore."

I sighed. He was still angry.

"What can I do to make you forgive me? _I_ forgave _you_." I reminded him.

"Well, if we're basing my actions off of yours, then you can spend more than a year doing everything in your power to prove to me that you're sorry and that I can trust you, then I'll eventually, reluctantly, come around, but still keep secrets from you about your own children." His voice was even, not wanting to upset Isaac and Ivy, but his face conveyed just how pissed he was.

"Please, it wasn't like that, I wanted to tell you, I just…" I couldn't think of the right way to put it.

"You just weren't sure if I could be trusted; because if I 'knew' I had an actual claim to them I would fight harder to bring them here, putting them in danger _just_ so that I could be near them. Because that's the kind of selfish person I am, and only you are capable of being a selfless martyr, abandoning your children in an unguarded, unknown place to keep them safe. Is that about right?" He laid Ivy down in her crib and spun the mobile again. She looked like she was ready for a nap. He went to the door and called for a servant to bring two bottles while I stood there, speechless.

I knew I deserved some anger, but that was harsh. A lot more harsh than I would've thought Dorian capable of right now. I didn't know what to say. How could I argue when he was the one in the right? I _had_ kept it from him because I thought he would bring them here against my will, even if it meant they were in more danger than they were with the Reeds. I had been self-righteous in thinking that I was the only one of us selfless enough to do what was absolutely best for the twins. And had I really? They looked so happy when they were around him, and my world was just that: _my_ world. It wasn't theirs. It would always be a part of them, but it was only a tiny part. By cutting Dorian and his opinions out of my decision making, I had cut out a part of their voices too. I hadn't considered their fey heritage when I decided to leave them with the Reeds; I had only considered what I would have wanted for a _human_ child. I was by no means qualified to make a decision based on what a three-fourths gentry kid would want.

I had made a stupid choice and now it was costing me the third most important person in my life.


	11. Repentant

**This is the last chapter for now. I want to pick up where I left off in a new story in the future though, I just don't have the time right now. Thanks everyone who read and everyone who reviewed! I'm glad you liked everything, I hope you like this one too!**

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><p>Dorian finished putting the twins down for their nap and silently walked out of the room. I followed, still trying to figure out what to say to him. He lounged on across a chair and donned his usual bored expression. God that was so aggravating during a fight.<p>

I sat cross-legged on the bed, facing him.

"I am eagerly awaiting your reply, my dear." He announced sarcastically.

I took a deep breath.

"You're completely right. I shouldn't have kept it from you. I should have told you the moment I found out and then we should have figured out what to do from there. Leaving them with the Reeds was probably a wasted year of torture that I didn't need to go through. My reasons for keeping them in my world were entirely selfish and I was only taking their human sides into consideration. I completely disregarded you and your feelings and ignored a very big part of them." There it was. All of my stupid mistakes, laid out for him. I was overwhelmed with guilt and everything that had happened in the past week. I could feel myself rambling and I knew tears weren't far behind, but I couldn't stop them. Ever since the pregnancy, I cried a LOT more than I used to. Damn hormones. I hoped to God they would get straight _one_ day.

"Please believe me that I really _did_ think that I was doing what was best for them. And it has been KILLING me to not tell you. I knew you were going to be hurt and I hated that, but I thought that if it was for their best interest, well, maybe you would forgive me for it. And if not, well, at least they would be alive for you to meet one day. I can't stand the thought of losing them and I will do anything I have to, to keep them safe, I'm not apologizing for that, but I also can't stand to lose _you_ again either. I've wasted too much time without you and for that I am truly, truly sorry." And there they were; the tears I'd mentally predicted came flooding out as I remembered all the time I'd wasted being angry at Dorian for something I would have done, and essentially did do, in his position. All the time I had felt alone, the pain I had put us both through. I couldn't lose him now. Not when everything was just starting to feel right.

He sighed and came over to the bed. Sitting down next to me, he pulled me to his chest and stroked my hair.

"These crying fits of yours make it very difficult to stay mad at you." He said softly, kissing the top of my head.

I laughed. "You'll have to work on that resolve if you don't plan on raising a spoiled daughter."

"When did I agree to that?" He joked back. His body felt so strong and warm against mine and his chuckle sounded like heaven. I hugged him tight, getting lost in his warmth.

"Dorian, I am so, so sorry. I love you so much and I never wanted to hurt you. I just thought it was my only option. I thought it was _their_ only option, but I see now that I was so completely wrong. You deserve to be a part of their lives and they deserve to have you. They already like you a hell of a lot better than they like me." He laughed again, at my unintentionally bitter tone.

"My dear, they are _one_. They haven't picked favorites yet."

"Then I must just be doing _everything_ wrong." I scoffed. "And you haven't seen the way Ivy looks at me sometimes. I swear she hates me." He was laughing so loud now I worried he might wake them from their nap.

"Shush, I'm serious." I sat upright and looked at him as sternly as I could. He had tears streaming from his eyes, he was laughing so hard.

"I was raised to banish spirits and kick metaphysical ass; I have no training for motherhood and no special powers kicked in once they were born like I thought they would. I feel completely lost when I pick them up and, apparently, I'm the only one who does. I thought it was maybe just a new parent thing, but Candace and Charlie were great with them, Evan was great, and you! You're like the baby-whisperer!" Dorian looked at me like he had no idea what I was talking about, which, he didn't. He had gotten his laughter under control but was still smiling cheerfully. I'm glad someone got a kick out of it, because I certainly didn't.

"Just give it some time." He offered, grabbing hold of my hand.

"That's what everybody keeps saying, but I shouldn't have to! I'm their mother; I should just naturally be good at this stuff."

"You will be. You just have to give them time to get to know you. Get attached to them and let them get attached to you. You'll see."

"Well why the hell are you so good at it then? They've only seen you twice and they love you. Are you sure you didn't forget to tell me you've had children before?" I said it sarcastically, but once it was out of my mouth I felt a tiny ping of fear. We hadn't actually discussed that before. I mean, he had made it clear he wanted a child with me, but he'd never mentioned having one with someone else. And lord knows Dorian got around.

Well, he used to.

"Trust me; you would have known if I had. Although, I only just found out I had these two, so there is a possibility there could be more of my exceptionally handsome offspring running around out there without my knowledge." Somehow he managed to say that with only the slightest bit of maliciousness. Knowing the way the shining ones were about children though, and the fact that Dorian was a king, made that scenario very unlikely. Only someone as ridiculous as a human would think of lying to Dorian about that.

"I don't know why Isaac likes me, but most of why Ivy and I get along is magic. She likes it when I use mine. I think she can feel it the same way I can feel hers. It's comforting to her and for some reason she finds it incredibly funny to perform." He smiled when he thought about it.

"Yeah, Isaac likes it when I use my magic with him too, but I don't think he can access it as well as she can. He doesn't seem to really be able to sense mine, he just likes watching it, and the only voluntary magic I've seen him use has been really weak. Which is still amazing for a one-year-old in my opinion."

"Hmm… I agree that he is doing wonderful for his age, but from what little I've seen and felt of Ivy's magic, she is developing a lot faster than he is." He sounded proud that it wasn't the Storm King's magic that was proving to be dominant, but _his_.

"I guess Maiwenn was wrong about the prophecy finding a way, huh?" Isaac's magic could remain this weak for the rest of his life for all I cared, and a part of me really wished that it would. Maybe then people would stop wanting him dead because of that stupid prophecy.

"There's always time, my love." Dorian joked, but I could tell he didn't really care. Not like he used to. Having two beautiful, healthy babies was all that mattered.

I kissed him on the cheek, breathing in his delicious, cinnamony scent.

"I'm sorry." I said again.

"I know." He took my face in his hands and kissed me deeply. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him as close to me as I could.

"Eugenie Markham, you really are a difficult woman to stay angry at." It wasn't exactly an 'I forgive you', and I could still faintly see the hurt in his face, but there was something else there too. There was understanding. It was a start and I was grateful that he had given me that much. There was so much more to him than I had first let myself believe.

He gently pressed me down onto the bed, tracing soft kisses across my jaw and down my neck. His mouth on my skin was electrifying. I hated fighting with Dorian, but making up was always so enjoyable.

I closed my eyes and let myself drown in his touch. His lips moved past my collar bone, pausing briefly to pull my shirt off in one swift motion. His hands cupped my breasts, fingers playfully stroking my nipples through the lace of my bra. I tangled my fingers in his hair, softly guiding his head towards my breasts. He slipped my left breast out of its covering and started sucking on my nipple, occasionally biting lightly. One hand slid down my body, in between my thighs. I moaned encouraging him to continue.

He was unzipping my pants with one hand and squeezing my breast with the other when the tranquility of the moment was suddenly broken by an earsplitting shriek followed by crying. It was quickly joined by another set of cries.

I took a deep breath and buttoned up my pants and Dorian looked for where he'd thrown my shirt. I smiled at him as he handed it to me.

"Welcome to parenthood." I told him. He kissed me quickly and we made our way to the twins room.


End file.
